Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/95

 Hammond for a great deal less money, $10 each being his regular price, and where there were so many to be handled, as in this instance, he thought a joblot rate could be secured from Fulton. Upon this showing I acquiesced in the arrangement to have Senator Fulton attend to all future business of this nature, and whatever his charges might be, that I would gladly stand my share.

At this stage of the proceedings the entrymen refused to sign the two mortgages, and I was up against it once more. They based their objections upon the allegation that I had departed from my original agreement with them, and also because there were rumors that the Government intended to attack all the entries. In the event this proved to be case, they insisted that I enter into another agreement with them to defray all their expenses to the Lakeview land office, and to bear whatever costs were incurred by the proceedings.

This I declined to do, stating that I did not believe there would be any trouble, but that if there should be, that I would help out all I could, even to the extent of engaging an attorney to represent them at any hearing before the local land office. They also refused to sign an order requesting the Register and Receiver of the Lakeview land office to return the purchase price of $400 to the Bank of Prineville, subject to Mr. McLeod's order. The law requires that the public lands shall be paid for personally by the entrymen, and our intention was to have the Bank of Prineville issue drafts in the name of each locator for $400 at the time of making final proof, as the United States Commissioners are supposed to send the cash payments to the land office at the same time the final proof papers are transmitted. In case of the rejection of any of the entries, the money and title papers would be returned to the Commissioner, who was expected to turn the drafts over to the entrymen, as it was for the purpose of protecting Mr. Hammond that the idea was adopted of having the locators sign an order on the Commissioner for the full amount of their payments in favor of Mr. McLeod, as Hammond's representative.

The obstinacy of the entrymen had the effect of causing McLeod to abandon the idea of further efforts in the direction of acquiring title under the timber and stone act, and he suggested that we return to Portland forthwith and purchase forest reserve scrip with which to select the lands under the act of June 4, 1897. It was also apparent to McLeod that the entrymen, actuated by the belief that I was already out to the extent of about $2,000, were attempting to hold me up in the belief that I would accede to their demands rather than sacrifice that amount. I concurred with McLeod, both as to his deductions and remedy, and as only ten days remained in which to make payment and complete the final proofs before the lands would revert back to the Government and again become subject to entry, we proceeded to Portland with as little delay as possible.

About 20,000 acres of scrip were required to cover the selections embraced in the 108 entries alluded to, and we found that it was a most difficult matter to secure such a large quantity, as nearly all holders wanted the scrip for their personal uses. McLeod having failed to make good in this connection, and as there was no time to lose, I proceeded to seek another customer. I soon found him in the person of William R. Thorson, of the Manestee Lumber Company, of Manestee, Mich., who was at that time stopping at the Hotel Portland. He had 100,000 acres of available forest reserve scrip, and it required little effort on my part to convince him as to the feasibility of the scheme of securing the lands. He agreed to scrip the entire tract and pay me 50 cents an acre for all the lands that would estimate 10,000 feet of merchantable lumber per acre.

In conformity with this view of the situation, Mr. Thorson's attorney and myself started post haste for the Lakeview land office, via California and Reno, Nev., that being the most expeditious route on account of a lack of railway facilities in other directions. We were not a moment too soon, either, for within two days after we had filed our scrip on the land, 60 applications under the timber and stone act were received at the land office in one bunch from Page 89